We Need to Bring Back the New Year's Eve Pelican Drop to Pensacola!

 

The Red Clay Strays put on an AMAZING performance at this year's "Moon Pies over Mobile" New Year's Eve event--but why didn't Pensacola have an event for our community and for visitors to our area?

After having attended the Mobile, Alabama "Moon Pie Drop" for New Year's Eve last week--I naturally wanted to ask about why we stopped doing the "Pelican Drop" in downtown Pensacola yearly for New Years..

Because over the years I have attended numerous "Pelican Drop" NYE events in Downtown Pensacola.

I've seen great bands right here downtown, including Andy Grammer and The Band Perry.

And I enjoyed them.  

So let's bring them back!  Let's do it here in Pensacola! That was what I said at last week's meeting, and it was picked up by the media and so far most with whom I have spoken agree:  We need to bring back the Pelican Drop.

Full disclosure though--I attended Mobile's event and my wife Sally and I had a blast!  It was great, we had front row seats to great shows by the Red Clay Strays and Third Eye Blind.  We had great meals, a great hotel, a fun night, a great breakfast the next morning--and overall a great time.

But I'd much rather spend my money in Pensacola than Mobile.  And I know we can do it better locally (even though the MPD had a HUGE presence at the Mobile event)--with fewer fights and certainly no mass shootings.  

3rd Eye Blind lead singer Steven Jenkins addressed the Mobile, Al crowd at last week's "Moon Pies over Mobile" celebration on New Year's Eve.  He commented on his late plane arrival and also his breakfast earlier that morning at Mobile's "Ruby Slipper" restaurant.  He also commented on his positive experience in the south and in Mobile--stating he was amazed at the great hospitality and warm reception he received.  Shortly after he made these comments, sadly, Downtown Mobile  (two blocks away from the concert) had a mass shooting with 10 shot and one killed.......

So I am going to pledge up to $10,000 dollars from my discretionary funds to ensure we can bring this celebration back to Pensacola.  I'm going to work all year with my counterparts on the board and at the city, as well as the downtown improvement board in order to make this happen.

We will have a celebration in Pensacola to ring in 2024.  That's my prediction.

Because it's ridiculous that we don't do anything for NYE.  

We can, we've proved we can do it well, and we should.  Let's do it here and give folks the opportunity to spend their money here rather than travelling to Mobile or New Orleans--or anywhere else!